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SPORTS
Marshall holds on, beats SMU
Marshall running back Terrell Edwards-Maye drives past SMU defender Chris Parham during the C-USA football game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Marshall defeated SMU 34 to 31.
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HUNTINGTON -- Bowl eligible. Enough said.
A balanced offensive attack and relentless defense proved too much for Conference USA's West Division leader. Marshall University football earned a needed sixth victory -- achieving provisional postseason status in the process -- with Saturday's 34-31 Senior Day victory over SMU before a Joan C. Edwards Stadium crowd of 19,646.
Entering Saturday's regular season finale at UTEP, the Thundering Herd (6-5, 4-3 Conference USA) is now eligible for a bowl berth, most likely to the Dec. 29 EagleBank Bowl in Washington D.C. against a Mid-American Conference opponent. Marshall, which would guarantee a bowl appearance with a win next week, last played beyond the regular season in the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl.
"The locker room's excited," fifth-year Thundering Herd head coach Mark Snyder said. "Our kids are excited. I'm happy for them. We got a little bit of confidence back, I think. That team we played tonight has been playing with a lot of confidence.
"It's huge (earning a sixth win). It's something we haven't done since we've been here."
Feelings were mutual between coach and players, with Snyder receiving a celebratory Gatorade bath following the landmark win.
"We all wanted to dunk the water on coach Snyder," said defensive end Vinny Curry, who collected two of Marshall's five sacks of SMU quarterback Kyle Padron. "He hasn't had a bath before. He's worked so hard and he takes so much heat for us. It's not like he's the one out there playing."
Padron, knocked down eight more times, pulled SMU within 27-24 on a 12-yard touchdown toss to Aldrick Robinson with 5:33 remaining. But, the Herd kept the pressure on Padron who heaved a long downfield pass on his team's next possession. Marshall free safety Omar Brown intercepted and returned to SMU's 42-yard line.
Four plays later, Brian Anderson's 16-yard slant pass to true freshman Aaron Dobson, who enjoyed a breakout performance with more than 100 receiving yards, secured victory with 2:01 remaining. Earlier in the final quarter, Craig Ratanamorn booted a 42-yard field goal, affording Marshall's first two-possession advantage over the Mustangs (6-5, 5-2 C-USA) at 27-17.
With two-time 1,000-yard rusher Darius Marshall sidelined and leading receiver Cody Slate on crutches, both because of injuries, the Herd amassed 475 yards of total offense. Martin Ward rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown, Terrell Edwards-Maye added 113 yards and a score on the ground and Dobson totaled 127 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions. All are underclassmen.
"It's created opportunities for other guys and those guys have stepped up. I thought those two tailbacks stepped up tonight," Snyder said. "It doesn't shock me. ... I was excited to see these two young tailbacks because they're fresh-legged. They've got speed and they showed it tonight."
Parlaying one of Marshall's 14 penalties into a final-minute touchdown - Zach Line bulled in from nine yards - SMU sustained drama into the closing seconds, trimming the deficit to three points.
Ashton Hall secured the ensuing onside kick, securing conditional bowl eligibility.
"After the hard losses we've had the last couple of weeks, we'll take this hard win any day," a drenched Snyder said. "That's the way this league is week in and week out and we're excited to get to six (wins)."
The back-and-forth matchup accelerated early in the second half with Marshall and SMU trading touchdowns on their initial possessions. Edwards-Maye's 8-yard burst through the middle provided a 17-10 Herd advantage. The Mustangs required just 1:33 to again knot the score with Padron finding Emmanuel Sanders on a 43-yard scoring strike.
Running virtually the same go route, Dobson out-leaped strong safety Tyler Jones for the game's play of the evening.
"Aaron Dobson continues to step up," Snyder said of the former South Charleston High School standout.
A feeling-out first quarter opened with Marshall failing to grasp opportunity following a Michael Janac forced fumble, recovered by Brown. Following a Herd three and out, SMU marched 54 yards in four plays, capped by Shawnbrey McNeal surging into the end zone from one yard.
Spurred by a 48-yard Dobson reception from Anderson, Marshall answered with a 92-yard scoring drive. Ward leaped across the goal line from two yards on a right toss sweep, evening the score at 7-7 and awakening the crowd.
Ratanamorn, then perfect through the season on field goals and extra points, nailed a 50-yarder, providing Marshall its first lead at 10-7 with 13:26 remaining in the opening half. Matt Szymanski countered with a 25-yard kick, leveling the halftime score at 10-10.
Along the way, Ratanamorn misfired on his first attempt this year. He connected from 31 yards, but a Brandon Campbell false start moved the attempt back to 36 yards, where Ratanamorn pulled the next kick left.
Repeated special teams miscues continually hamstrung the Herd, but 262 rushing yards, combined with 213 yards on 13-of-22 passing more than compensated. Padron completed 18 of 32 passes for 225 yards and two scores with one interception under persistent pressure.
"We knew they were a very talented team," SMU head coach June Jones said. "We gave them a reason to get excited and they did a nice job with everything that they came in the game wanting to do."
Marshall makes its second trip to El Paso, Texas, next weekend, facing a Miners squad (3-7, 2-5 C-USA West Division) that lost to Rice, 30-29, on Saturday. Kickoff is 3 p.m. and WSAZ will televise the game.
"I talked to coach Jones briefly before the game and he felt like UTEP's offense was the best they have faced since TCU, and that's quite a statement," Snyder said. "We're ready to move on."
